Previews

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The level provided other chances to deliver on what the concept art and E3 pre-vis video have promised. Rising into the air, power surging around him, the Apprentice effortlessly cleared a group of closing proto-Rebels with a blast of Force energy in all directions. The sealed blast doors warped and bent under the impact, but held. The Apprentice stalked to them, his animation already iconic, and smashed them open with a Force Push. The metal doors literally bent, although in this early build their glass can't shatter. That's coming, though.

Out in the massive TIE construction area, a mass of empty space was bounded only by the far exterior walls of the facility. Rails full of nearly-done TIE fighters spanned the massive room. This is one thing that'll be in every stage: piles of renewable resources to trash with the Force. To make up for the missing glass in the blast doors, the demonstrator wandered to the edge of a walkway where active TIE fighters screamed across the facility. (Yes, it was so large inside that space fighters were the patrol craft.) It took a few tries and more Stormtroopers than the few that were nearby, but eventually he succeeded. Throwing one of the nearby crates smack into a TIE fighter, the ship exploded as it fireballed down into darkness.

Power! Unlimited Power!

Although the TIE stage is far from complete, it's just one example of some of what's coming in Spring '08. Other environments will include the organic world of Felucia and the junk world of Raxis Prime. Each world will give the Apprentice different weapons - in the TIE facility, Stormtroopers and crates were common ammunition. On the junk world, stories worth of debris and wreckage will provide plenty of choices for destruction. The world of Felucia is nearly a mystery, although I'm already dreaming about flinging enemies into the maws of carnivorous plants.

New characters will include the samurai-themed Jedi General Kota (whose hunt took us to the TIE facility) and the female Zabrak (that's Darth Maul's race, newbs) Maris Brood. She wields dual lightsabers with tonfa-style hilts, whereas the Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti will command rancors against you. Your ship, the Rogue Shadow, will be piloted by a female Imperial officer named Juno Eclipse, who will also fulfill the role of love interest at George Lucas' suggestion that one be included. In Star Wars style, a wise-cracking robot will be involved in some way, although I hope that it's funny in an "I'm an assassin droid" way, not in a "Not funny Jar-jar Binks" way. In any case, if you like the new characters, you'll be pleased to hear that there are book, toys, and comics on the way as well.

It's hard to overemphasize how much potential DMM and Euphoria bring to the equation. Merely flinging an enemy towards, say, the ruins of a ship on Raxis Prime isn't necessarily enough. Euphoria will have him grabbing at his environment as he flies, desperate for purchase, and DMM means that if he gets a grip, he may well bring whole walls down. Force-pushing a heavily armored soldier into a wooden pillar could result in a lot less pillar, possibly bringing down the building around them (and possibly you).

A Rose By Any Other Name...

One concern, simply because it's so nebulous at this point, is the story itself. You will play as Vader's apprentice. You'll be recruited to help him slay Jedi, and also to aid him in overthrowing the Emperor, but we don't even know your name yet. We do know, however, that Force Unleashed will begin bridging the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. We know your lightsaber style uses a strange reverse grip, like a knife-fighter, with the blade pointing behind you when in neutral stance (although reflecting blaster shots happens unimpeded and automatically).

And although this is most assuredly, "not an RPG, not the next Knights of the Old Republic," you will still face moral choices throughout the game. This will let you follow story paths in which you gain control of the Empire, lead the Rebellion, cast your own lot, or possibly other choices. It's easy to see potential here and get excited, but getting excited about Star Wars stories based on their astounding technologies has burned me the last three movies, so I'm withholding judgment for now.

For those playing on the PS2, PSP and DS, the situation is a little different. Without the muscle to run Euphoria or DMM, the "last-gen" versions will instead offer unique perks. The PS2 and PSP versions will have an identical extra level, and their gameplay looks remarkably close to the previously mentioned Psi-Ops, but with the option to hurl a lightsaber at people. You'll still follow the same story, and play the same even-in-the-beta-build awesome looking Apprentice. ODE physics will be in place, counting in at five soft bodies and ten rigid ones.

More interestingly, in a spat with a mini-boss, the player gets to cut down an AT-ST in a God of War style button-pressing mini-game. In this sequence, the Apprentice slashed the AT-ST off balance, then leapt up, grabbed hold of the huge walker, fired a blast of dark lightening at the cockpit, and then simply reached in through the pilot's cockpit window with an ignited lightsaber and slashed open anyone unfortunate enough to be inside. It was impressively dramatic and powerful, even without the power of next-gen driving it. The DS version will likewise have "cool stuff" with the touch pad, and the PSP will definitely include ad hoc multiplayer.

Last year's E3 trailer was just a teaser for what we'll see in SWFU. The Euphoria engine and DMM should combine together with Havoc physics to create an unreal experience. Even last-gen games should have something worth looking forward to. George Lucas' green light and direct input means this isn't just the next Star Wars game, but the next chapter in the Star Wars saga. If LucasArts can live up to the promise of its new technologies and story, Force Unleashed could even be the best Star Wars game yet.